I will warn you this is going to be a very personal post, moreso than most I do. Tomorrow I'll be doing some makeup reviews for you but today...you must deal with my revelations from the weekend. Else I won't have record of them. So indulge me...for now. This will likely be rather long, so please, forgive me.
We started our at 8:30 on Thursday. A pick up at the airport was the first on our agenda. We were early, but so was the plane. So once we found the lovely Kim from Hip Expressions (FL) we made our way to camp. Well, I can tell you I totally suck as a GPS LOL. We went about 4 miles down the mtn and then had to turn around and come back. Me being new to this whole scene I was mortified! Kim took it in stride and I am forever grateful to her for that.
Back on the right track, we pull into camp and at registration stands the Illustrious Onca (whom, despite having talked to dozens of times in email, I had never met), the ever calm and resourceful Reyna and brewer extraordinaire, Rick. At this point, I'm a nervous wreck because I know absolutely no one, except Kim. I stepped out, introduced myself to Onca and we hugged. At this point, I knew one thing for sure, I belonged. In such a simple gesture I felt accepted.
I got myself registered, got Kim squared away and back out we went. We knew we were going to be late for pick up #2. When we got there Matt & Leann Drury (FL) were waiting at baggage claim for me. I didn't even really need the sign. Kim had made a comment to me when I told her how to spot us "Bellydancers are pretty easy to spot" and she was right LOL. I looked at the Drury's and instantly knew it was them, the feeling was pretty mutual, I think.
Once we were on our way I found out it was their first visit to TribO as well (but not the the festival scene). I voiced my nervousness and Matt said something that resonated with me the entire time "You're part of the tribe now, you're family". No truer words could have been spoken. As I spent day one taking classes from the beautiful Natalie Brown and the super talented Jaia I felt myself changing. I went at one point and sat on the porch by the lake and just...reflected. I knew what was happening but until I was on my way home I couldn't put it in words.
I was lucky enough to meet the amazing Paulette and Jeff from Gypsy Caravan and the beautiful Sahira from Urban Gypsy. I spoke with Aela Badiana for a long while and with each person I spoke to, from tribes and troupes everywhere I knew I had come to the right place.
At every point in my life, with everything I've ever done, I've made a conscious choice. It was a "this is what I want to do and this is how I'm going to do it" I've always had to work at everything I want. Don't misinterpret that to mean I don't think I have to work for this, I KNOW I do. With this it has been different, I made that choice to be a dancer but...I think something else may have been behind it.
The emotions and tactile feelings I'm having I've only experienced three times in my life. Two of those were when my children were born. The other was when I found my spiritual path. For a couple of months now, I've been seeing ravens EVERYWHERE. That statement would mean nothing to you if you aren't aware of one thing. My patron Goddess is The Morrighan. Looking back, she was trying to open my eyes to what I was about to experience.
As we drove back home that night, I looked at my girlfriend who was gracious enough to help out with some pickups and it was only then that I could fully understand what had transpired. Dance can be, and often is, a way of life. Totally immersing myself into the lifestyle was a spiritual experience for me. I have often heard of people having a calling and until now I didn't understand. Now, I do. It doesn't mean I intend to stop everything else I do and ONLY do this. It means that I now know where I must go in my life.
Day 2 I was lucky enough to be attending with a troupemate. We arrived on site and I went to my first class, which I was late for. Never did I think I'd wanna try swords. Aela, was afraid that no one would show up for her 9:30 class. So I told her the night before that I would be there. She loaned me a sword and off I went. Running across the floor with a sword on my head and it STUCK! No wibble wobbles. No broken toes. So now, I have another new love, sword dancing. However, my quads and all that are not in love. In fact, I spent the rest of the day with them hating it! They're fine now.
Then I went to Onca's Essential Stagecraft class. This woman is freaking hilarious. She's teaching us how to hone our persona for on stage and off stage. How to command the audiences attention, even if things go wrong. The most important thing I learned...how NOT to mess up and have the attention turn from you to one member of the audience. (Not a problem for most bellydancers but I can see how the burlesque girls could have a problem LOL.) How to truly get into character and make it believable throughout the whole show.
My final class of the day was with the blue haired goddess from D.C., Mavi. Everything she said resonated with me. I had thought I'd eventually want to go the dark fusion route, now I am certain of it. She also talked about the history, which was wonderful. What I hated hearing was how some bellydancers are behaving. Seriously, if you read this and you're performing anywhere take this advice. If you're performing for free at venues, you're taking food off another dancers table. Do not devalue yourself and your fellow dancers by doing events for nothing. If it's for charity or a nursing home, fine. Anything else demand to be paid. It's only fair to the rest of us (I say that like I'm a bellydancer or something LOL).
The show that night was fucking phenomenal. I'm sorry there is no other way to put it. Dance, music, performing I mean, seriously, what more could you ask for?
I promise, I'm nearly done typing. If you've stuck with me this long...thank you!
Day 3 I did mostly business classes. It's good to be really well rounded. If I'm going to stick with this it's good to have the expertise from others to lean on. Thank you to the lovely Torva and the wonderful Reyna for sharing your knowledge with me!
I spent a bit of time talking to Reyna and Rick about an initiative they're starting. The United Bellydance League is to help serve the southeast and, more importantly, Western North Carolina. So that all of us can hopefully know what is going on in the community. So that the members can know when other troupes are having workshops and intensives. So we can support each other in those as well as in haflas and performances that are coming up. So if you're in these areas, contact Reyna or Rick to join up as a fighter. I warn you, if you ask about it then you're signed up LOL. We intend to take over the world with bellydance and achieve world peace through dance!
Last nights show was the instructors. I could probably rave for 10 pages and still not come close. Take every superlative known to man, triple em and multiply by 1000 and you're still very, very short. It was beautiful, enchanting, mesmerizing, intoxicating...you get the general idea. I can't even begin to vocalize what the performances made me feel. Samantha Riggs ended the inside portion of the show with a 20 minute plus Bollywood performance. I have never felt so alive or so free watching the entire show unfold last night. Ladies and gentleman, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing yourselves and your art with all of us.
Onca, I doubt you will ever read this, but when I see you next month I will be saying this to you. Thank you seems so small with all the realizations I came to this weekend. Thanks to you I was able to find a facet of me that I didn't know was missing. You made me feel like I was important to this art form and I can never repay that. You are beautiful, you are wonderful and you are so giving. In coming to TribOriginal and you allowing me to share the experience you helped breathe new life into me. I am looking so forward to helping you with ABSFest. I only wish to watch you create your magic and soak up the awesomeness that it and you are. Hopefully next time the laryngitis bug will leave you be!
I now have a thousand ideas and a thousand wishes. I will be working to bring them all to fruition. I am inspired and I am humbled to have stood in the grace of such an amazing event.
To my husband, my son and my daughter – I never thought it was possible to love you more. My heart, my spirit and my mind were all filled with love for you. In being able to go to TribOriginal with the complete support I had from you (and from 2 amazing friends who stepped in to avert crisis that came up Thursday night) it seems there was a huge stash of space that my love could grow for you and it has.
To the friends that stepped up and made sure that broken promises would not cause the weekend to be a disaster - I love you guys and I am here for you whenever you need me. You proved to me you aren't just friends but family.
To the people I met this weekend and to the friends I have made - I will truly treasure you for the rest of my days. Thank you, for being a part of this and helping me to experience something so intoxicatingly wonderful.
We are tribe and we are strong.
Ivy
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I'm so glad you enjoyed yourself there M'love, and I can't wait until next years TribO!
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